A New Generation of Weather Forecasts: Ultra High Resolution, Interactive and Zoomable

VIENNA - Dec. 17, 2014 - PRLog -- The professional meteorological company MetGIS provides such an innovative service both for leisure outdoor activities as well as for enterprises, whose success depends on sun, wind and precipitation.

„As first company worldwide, we use a computation grid based on resolutions of up to 30 m for most regions of the world. So we can offer our customers very detailed forecasts, updated several times a day“, explains Dr. Gerald Spreitzhofer, co-developer and CEO of MetGIS. The users can retrieve the information in an interactive way via the website www.metgis.com. The meteorological forecast values for each point in the maps are shown beside the mouse cursor. The pinpoint predictions are worldwide and can be accessed in eight languages. They are also available for remote regions and being utilized by leisure outdoor activists and companies alike.

Benefits of Highly Detailed Forecasts

Especially in mountain locations – whether in the Alpine region or in international trekking, climbing and ski destinations – weather can be unstable and changeable within a few hundred meters. The safety of climbers, mountaineers and skiers can be increased considerably by exact temperature forecasts for peaks and along the entire ascent or descent route, by small-scale predictions of wind speed, wind direction, fresh snow and the snow line. Furthermore, high-precision forecasts offer the chance for improved planning of mountain tours and regions with favorable weather conditions can be targeted more easily.

The knowledge of local temperature, wind and precipitation forecasts also allows a more proper assessment of the avalanche danger. „Fresh snow and wind are some crucial factors in this context“, says Dr. Gerald Spreitzhofer, who has worked at the Swiss Federal Institute of Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) in Davos (Switzerland). MetGIS also serves well in extreme situations: since 2013, special weather forecasts have been supporting expeditions such as „Nanga Dreams“ – an attempt of a first-time winter ascent of Nanga Parbat. Relevant weather data are transferred in real-time to satellite phones, supporting climbing teams high up in the mountains.

Safety and Success for Weather-Dependent Businesses

Not only sportspersons and outdoor enthusiasts profit from small-scale weather forecasts, but also enterprises. Commercial success often depends on correct weather assessment. In the field of open-pit mining reliable predictions are essential to minimize the risks of accidents. Road management companies as well as energy providers and agricultural companies benefit from improved planning opportunities. So does the film industry for outdoor shots. Of course MetGIS is also used by avalanche warning services (for example in the Spanish Pyrenees and the Indian Himalayas), state meteorological services (for example in Bhutan) and ski resorts.

Much of the weather forecast information for business customers is not only available via www.metgis.com. Programmers of foreign companies can easily include MetGIS prediction information for freely selectable points in their own application. Additionally, from 2015 extremely fine-mesh forecast grids, zoomable to resolutions of less than 100 m, can be included as data layer in external software packages, such as geographic information systems.

About MetGIS GmbH:

The Austrian company develops and operates an extremely powerful automated forecast system and delivers highly specialized innovative meteorological services, focusing on ultra high resolution weather predictions. The worldwide customers profit, among other things, from the possibility to use their resources in a more cost-efficient way and to lower the risk of weather-related accidents.

The outstanding quality of MetGIS predictions can be attributed to its highly academic background. The basic structure of the forecast techniques has been developed within the framework of a number of interdisciplinary international research collaborations. The enterprise emerged as a spin-off of the University of Vienna (Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics).

Pictures are available on request.

Contact MetGIS:

Dr. Gerald Spreitzhofer

CEO

MetGIS GmbH – Professional Weather Service

Phorusgasse 8/12

1040 Vienna, Austria

T +43 / (0)676 / 47 03 409

E gerald.spreitzhofer@metgis.com

W http://www.metgis.com

Distribution:

PR&D – Public Relations for Research & Education

Mariannengasse 8

1090 Vienna, Austria

T +43 / (0)1 / 505 70 44

E contact@prd.at

W http://www.prd.at